Flying Home for Christmas
by rightxhere
Summary: Rachel and Jacob are on a return flight home early Christmas morning, having spent eight days in Nebraska working a case.


**Title: **Flying Home for Christmas**  
Author: **Demelza**  
Fandom: **Eleventh Hour  
**Words: **731**  
Characters:** Jacob Hood, Rachel Young  
**Disclaimer: **Eleventh Hour is the property of Warner Brothers and all its other owners. I'm just playing with the characters for a little while.**  
Spoilers:** None**  
Rating: **O13  
**Warnings:** None  
**Summary:** Rachel and Jacob are on a return flight home early Christmas morning, having spent eight days in Nebraska working a case.**  
A/N:** Fic #3 in my 25 Christmas Fics for 2009 calender thingy on LiveJournal (rightxhere).

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"It's officially Christmas Day."

Through a bump of turbulence, Rachel checked her watch and saw that it was almost a half minute past midnight. "So it is," she said, returning to her final notations for her report into the emergency that had seen them in Nebraska for the last eight days.

A Christmas song sounding in the ear plugs that hung around his neck, Jacob moved in his seat at her left, finding a comfortable spot to rest his head before glancing sidelong at her. "Did I ever tell you what I love most about Christmas?"

Her first thought was of a cherished memory he held of his late wife. Perhaps their first Christmas together. "No, I don't believe you did," she answered, briefly meeting his gaze.

"The snow."

Rachel smiled, wide. She could easily envision him looking at collected snowflakes under a microscope, and the thought made her smile. _Of course you do, Hood_.

"The snow?" She paused, searching his eyes. "Why is that?" she asked, though she felt certain she already knew his answer.

"No two snowflakes are ever the same, you know."

While she often didn't know what he was talking about, it was hard to pretend she didn't know that about snowflakes, but she decided to play along. "They aren't?" She exhaled softly, holding his gaze. "I never knew that."

Jacob, caught up in what he was talking about, leaned forward and lowered his voice a little. "They can be of the same type, such as simple prisms or the stellar dendrites..."

"And the more common irregular crystals," Rachel added, causing Jacob to stare at her, taken aback by what had just come out of her mouth. Her lips curved when she smiled, explaining, "I've always loved snowflakes. Ever since I was a little girl."

She waited for an answer. For anything, but he was only staring at her.

"Hood?"

Jacob blinked, promptly continuing as though she hadn't interrupted his flow of thought. "But as similar in type as they may be, the way each flake was formed makes every one of them..."

"Unique," she finished for him, giving him an apologetic smile.

He nodded. "Unique," he echoed. "Just as you are."

She mused over his words. "I've been called some things before, though I don't think unique was one of them. Well, except in training, but I _know_ it was never as a compli—" Her voice halted when Jacob reached his hand to her face and gently brushed back stray strands of her blonde hair.

"The world doesn't see you the way I do, Rachel," Jacob said, searching her eyes.

Rachel felt her breath catch in her throat, and her heart began to race. "How is it you see me, Hood?"

Caressing her cheek with his thumb, he inched closer. "Beautiful. Intelligent. An excellent marksman. "

She gave him a playful, thankful smile.

"And..." he murmured, "you take my breath away, like no one I've ever met before."

Rachel's breath caught again. "Hood... I..."

"And... I know you said you didn't want a present, but there's something... something very special that I would like to give you, Rachel."

Exhaling softly in an attempt to slow her racing heart, she placed her hand overtop his and leaned into his touch. "I told you, you didn't have to get or do anything for me."

He leaned forward, his face not far from hers. "I know," he whispered. He closed the last gap between them and drew her mouth to his. He brushed his lips against hers, softly, sweetly.

The softness of his lips, the tenderness in the way he kissed her, made her heart race faster than it was those minutes ago.

She released a gentle moan when he deepened the kiss, took hold of his sweater and pulled him to her. He swept his tongue across her upper lip, causing her to gasp and break away.

The taste of the toffees the stewardess had given him when they boarded lingered on her lips. She could smell them as he pressed his forehead against hers, stroking her cheek with his thumb while they caught their breath.

A few moments passed, when Rachel pulled back enough to gaze into Jacob's green eyes. She smiled, affectionately. "Merry Christmas, Jacob."

He caressed her cheek, murmuring "Merry Christmas, Rachel," before tenderly capturing her mouth with his once more, kissing her sweetly.


End file.
